Sponsorship - how would you handle an offer?

[FishyFolk]

I just declined an offer by a company that wanted to send me some bushcraft/survival related items to try and keep, provided I
made a video on my youtube channel about the items.

Had I accepted they would have gotten my honest oppinion on their product, bot negative and positive.

But I declined reasoning that making my videos is something I do for fun for my online friends around the world and as a hobby. And that when I do kit reviews
or talk about kit, it is always something I have purchased (or been gifted by a friend/familly) and/or use myself...(or just a happy "look what I got!" brag when I have got something new and shiny...)

What would you have done?

[Valantine]

Tough decision there.
I think you made the right choice though, once you get into sponsorship impartiality goes out the window.

[Fraxinus]

It is the proviso aspect that would make me think twice.
I was fortunate enough to be involved in a product testing of a new storm kettle, the company sent out quite a few and asked for our opinions and views of the prototype.
They took on board all of the comments and altered the product to reflect our findings, which is really fantastic.
Many of the testers posted reviews of the prototype on different fora, warts and all, unsolicited.
When the product became mainstream the company sent each of us a new version free of charge... this had not been mentioned at the outset. So we were under no obligation, perceived or otherwise.
That is the kind of company that I would happily test products for, they wanted honest feedback not free advertising (but they got plenty anyway)
I think you made the right choice for yourself, your brilliant videos might come across a bit different if you made them feeling obligated because you don't strike me as someone who can tell me it's raining while piddling up my back and then sleep well.

Rob.

[OakAshandThorn]

I've seen a lot of this on many youtube channels as of late. I also agree that you made the right decision, since many of these reviews become more of a marketing scheme for the company to get more business - you spend more time talking about the product and that you MUST buy it and how awesome the company is than you would offering some constructive criticism. And this is where honesty seems to go out the window. If the company will not accept negative feedback/constructive criticism to improve the product, the review is biased...and I would have no part in that.
What I can see doing is that a company sends you some kit to review, and you give them your feedback directly. There shouldn't be any obligation to upload a video or a type a blog post about it. If you wish to, however, that would be your choice.

[midas]

I think I would have accepted,n given unbaised report.In my case I had a supplier,send me free of charge an extesion to a Gold Sluice I had purcased from them,because I had recomended it to so many of my follow "prospectors".n given it a good write up re its gold grabbing etc.Came as a complete surprise.n most welcome!

[FishyFolk]

I think I would have accepted,n given unbaised report.In my case I had a supplier,send me free of charge an extesion to a Gold Sluice I had purcased from them,because I had recomended it to so many of my follow "prospectors".n given it a good write up re its gold grabbing etc.Came as a complete surprise.n most welcome!

I think in your case I would have accepted a gift too, if it was something I was allready recomending from good experience, and the maker sent me one out of the blue. :-)
So Jerven, maker of the Jerven bag, mine is getting kinda old I know you have new models out there...*hint* *hint*

[FishyFolk]

Thanks for the feed back folks :-)